The moment Jiang Songyi jumped onto the horse, the hem of her crimson skirt swept across the Fourth Prince's shoulders, startling him so much that the teacup in his hand soaked the front of his lapel.
Princess Jiaqing covered her lips with her round fan. "It seems to me that Songyi and Young Marquis Su get along quite well." She deliberately raised her voice, "Sheng'er, don't you love collecting Western Region horses? Why don't you ask the county lady for advice on horse training?"
Su Sheng understood, and the ruby on the jade crown shone into broken stars in the sunlight: "County Lady, are you willing to teach me?" He stretched out his hand to help Jiang Songyi off the horse, but the gold-inlaid scabbard pressed against his wrist.
"Young Marquis's hand," Jiang Songyi spun around and landed on the ground, the lotus pattern on the scabbard brushing against his palm, "should be used to draw the bow or hold a pen." As she turned around, the crimson shawl brushed against Xinyi Zigu's cheek, and the remaining jasmine scent was even more alluring than Jiang Yuyao's acacia fragrance.
Jiang Yuyao suddenly stumbled half a step. Her embroidered shoes, inlaid with southern pearls, deliberately caught the hem of her skirt, and she fell into Xinyi Zigu's arms. This was her tried-and-true tactic, which always earned her the Fourth Prince's gentle support.
"Be careful." Jiang Songyi's scabbard was quicker, pressing against her lower back. The chill from the golden blade penetrated her thin shirt, making Jiang Yuyao shiver. She looked up into Jiang Songyi's smiling eyes, which reflected the image of Xinyi Zigu frantically adjusting her clothes.
Princess Jiaqing suddenly slammed her round fan against the stone table. "I'm tired. Songyi, come with me to change clothes." She dragged Jiang Songyi through the moon-shaped door, the jade steps jingling loudly. "See? Men are like peacocks in the imperial garden. The more you ignore them, the more they spread their feathers."
The sound of porcelain breaking could be heard from behind the rockery. Jiang Yuyao's tearful "Your Highness" was blown away by the wind, replaced by Su Sheng's unbridled laughter: "Cousin, why don't you go and comfort her? She's about to faint in your study."
Xinyi Zigu stared at the spilled tea stain on the stone table. The stain unexpectedly outlined Jiang Songyi's figure as she rode, the crimson tea foam like the hem of her flowing skirt. He shattered the celadon cup with his fist, and the debris, mixed with blood, rolled down—this splash of red, after all, wasn't blooming for him.
Jiang Yuyao was filled with resentment, feeling that Jiang Songyi had snatched away all her possessions. The Fourth Prince had always been so devoted to her, but now he wouldn't even glance at her. Even more infuriating was the fact that even Princess Linchuan was siding with Jiang Songyi.
Just now, the eldest princess spoke for her in front of the fourth prince. She thought she had gained support, but her nose felt sore and she was about to show weakness: "Auntie..."
Before she could finish her words, Jiang Shu, the divorced aunt of the Jiang family, suddenly said "tsk!" "What bad luck!" It turned out that Jiang Yuyao was calling "Aunt" to Princess Linchuan.
Princess Linchuan's hand holding the silk handkerchief trembled, and she pointed at Jiang Shu and said, "Your aunt is over there." Then she took half a step aside, as if she was afraid of getting something stuck on her.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu immediately waved her hand: "Don't! I have nothing to do with her father now. If you have to say, I am at most her father's ex-wife, not an elder." She said this bluntly, and several noble ladies around her covered their mouths with their fans and laughed secretly.
Jiang Yuyao's face burned with pain. Her biological mother had been a concubine in the Jiang family, a fact known throughout the capital. In the past, relying on the Fourth Prince's favor, no one dared to mention it to her face. Now, it had become a topic of gossip, allowing everyone to gossip about it.
The Fourth Prince, Xin Yi Zigu, stood in the corridor, his heart smoldering with anger. The eldest princess had just been accusing him of changing his heart, but how could he, a prince who would one day have three harems and six courtyards, possibly live with a woman?
"Cousin, let's go to the waterside pavilion to get some fresh air." The Fourth Prince reached out to pull Jiang Songyi's sleeve.
Jiang Songyi dodged without leaving a trace, digging her nails into her palms to suppress her nausea. This man had sworn at Jiang Yuyao a few days ago, and now he dared to provoke her. Did he really think that all women in the world would be at his mercy?
I really want to kick this bastard into the lotus pond to wake him up.
The three Jiang siblings' eyes widened simultaneously. Jiang Baichuan's teacup clanged against the stone table, Jiang Jinzhao pinched his thigh, and Jiang Shu choked on a mouthful of tea.
[But he is a prince after all...]
The three of them just breathed a sigh of relief when they heard:
[Wait and find a quiet place, where no one will notice...]
The tea lid in Jiang Baichuan's hand rolled directly to the ground. Jiang Jinzhao began to calculate how many floors there were in the Ministry of Justice Prison. Jiang Shu hurriedly stood up and interrupted: "Young people, please disperse. We elders are here to talk."
Just as the girls knelt down to take their leave, Princess Linchuan suddenly grabbed Jiang Songyi's wrist and said, "Wait a minute!" She had come here for Jiang Songyi, so how could she let her go?
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the eldest princess stroked the back of Jiang Songyi's hand and said with a smile, "I think County Princess Jiaqing is quite suitable for me." She glanced at the Fourth Prince and said, "With such good character and appearance, she deserves to be paired with a caring and considerate person."
The Fourth Prince's face suddenly turned ugly at the bluntness of these words. Everyone in the capital knew that when the Princess was recruiting a consort, she had sworn an oath before the late Emperor that if the consort dared to take a concubine, she would break his legs.
Jiang Songyi lowered her eyes and remained silent. She naturally understood the underlying message, but the eldest princess's warmth was strange. She had ignored her at the palace banquet last month, but today she seemed like a completely different person.
"Your Highness, thank you for your compliment." She withdrew her hand and bowed, "I am humbled."
Princess Linchuan refused to give up. She turned to Jiang Shu and said, "If you ask me, the girls of your Jiang family should learn from me. When the late emperor granted the marriage, I made it clear that if the prince consort dared to be indecisive..." She suddenly fell silent and smiled meaningfully.
A vein throbbed in the Fourth Prince's forehead. He finally understood that the Princess was indirectly accusing him of being fickle. But he couldn't get angry in front of so many people, so he could only wave his sleeves and head back to the pavilion.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuyao hurried to catch up, but was stopped by the eldest princess's maid. "Miss, please stay. Your Highness needs some peace and quiet." The maid's tone was flat, but it made Jiang Yuyao blush.
The sun gradually set in the west, and the lotus pond was shimmering with golden light. Jiang Songyi watched the Fourth Prince's retreating figure, and suddenly remembered the face he had taken after ascending the throne in his previous life—the same look on his face when he allowed Jiang Yuyao to force-feed her with poisoned wine and then walked away.
[Sure enough, I should find a chance to kill him.]
The Jiang siblings shuddered in unison. Jiang Baichuan was already wondering which coffin shop in Beijing was best, Jiang Jinzhao was plotting how to fake an accident, and Jiang Shu was staring at the lotus pond, trying to figure out its depth.
"Ahem!" Princess Linchuan suddenly coughed violently. "I remember there's a century-old pomegranate tree at the east end of the Imperial Garden. Its fruits are the sweetest. Would Princess Jiaqing be willing to accompany me to take a look?"
Before Jiang Songyi could reply, she heard a sudden "splash." Turning, she saw the Fourth Prince had somehow fallen into the lotus pond and was floundering in the muddy water. Jiang Yuyao, lifting her skirt, tried to jump in, but the palace servants frantically tried to stop her, creating a farce.
"Hurry! Help!" Jiang Baichuan shouted, but he took a half step in the opposite direction. Jiang Jinzhao turned his back, his shoulders shaking suspiciously.
Princess Linchuan pinched her handkerchief to cover her mouth and uttered a soft "Ah!" "Did the Fourth Prince... fall into the water?" She turned to look at Jiang Songyi, a sly glint in her eyes. "It shows that one must not harbor evil intentions. Heaven is watching."
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